Day after day, subway riders in New York City have voiced a steady
drumbeat of grievances as the century-old system has descended into
disarray.

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Trains are unreliable. Rush hour malfunctions paralyze the city. When a
train derailed in Manhattan this week, injuring dozens of people, it
raised concerns over whether the subway was even safe.

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On Thursday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the person most responsible for the
subways fate, signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency,
pledged $1 billion for improvements and moved to make it easier for the
Metropolitan Transportation Authority to buy badly needed equipment.

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But even as Mr. Cuomo sounded the alarm, it remained to be seen whether
his call to action would actually reverse the subways decline and change
the daily experience of frustrated riders.

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It had taken some prodding and a fusillade of criticism to bring Mr. Cuomo
to this moment, but in his comments he seemed to acknowledge the immensity
of the problem and the potential political fallout if he did not address
it quickly.

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The delays are maddening New Yorkers, Mr. Cuomo said after rushing to
Manhattan, from a special legislative session in the State Capitol, for an
event organized to solicit ideas to fix the system. They are infuriated by
a lack of communication, unreliability and now accidents. Just three days
ago, we literally had a train come off the tracks. Its the perfect
metaphor for the dysfunction of the entire system.

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Mr. Cuomo ordered Joseph J. Lhota, the new chairman of the authority, to
provide a reorganization plan within 30 days.

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Mr. Lhota should design the best organization to get the job done, the
governor said, denouncing the performance of the authority, which he has
controlled for more than six years. Within two months, Mr. Lhota is to
present a detailed plan to address the subways most pressing ills.

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Mr. Lhota said the authority would focus on customer communication, new
technology and training of personnel. Transit officials also are examining
new approaches to upgrade the subways antiquated signal system a frequent
reason for delays and to buy new subway cars.